An elderly dog, turned back over to a Kansas animal shelter by a family who no longer wanted her, walked an incredible 30 miles back to the family’s doorstep – only to be rejected and heartbroken when her owners returned her to the shelter. Now, the black lab named “Lady,” who has been in and out of shelters since her original owner died in 2012, is on a private jet, being whisked away as the adoptee of the Wrigley chewing gum heir.

Writes Gawker on Aug. 1: “Lady first landed in a Sedan, Kansas animal shelter after her original owner passed away in 2012. She quickly grew attached to the first family that adopted her, but they felt she was too rough with their puppy and worried she wasn't friendly toward little dogs. They returned her to the shelter. She was adopted by a second family in Independence, Kan., earlier this summer, but Lady missed her previous home so much that she escaped and pulled a Homeward Bound, walking 30 miles to reunite with the owners who'd rejected her.”

Lady’s story of tear-jerking rejection went viral. In comes Wrigley heir, philanthropist and animal lover Helen Rich, who read about Lady’s incredible determination to be in a family and was moved to take action. Lady's endearing plight struck Rich, who made adoption arrangements and sent her jet on Thursday to pick the black lab up in style, whisking her away to her 120-acre Florida mansion. Rich operates a Florida sanctuary for neglected animals.

Says The NY Daily News: “If all dogs go to heaven, Lady's will be a heaven on earth. Lady has had a tough life in recent months, but a Florida heiress who loves animals is vowing to make the lab's golden years truly happy.”

A volunteer at the Chautauqua County Animal Shelter in Kansas, prior to her being adopted, wrote that Lady, who is also called “Ma Kettle” because of her age, “is spayed, house broken and leash trained, mellow, having problems walking (so her travels back to Sedan amazed me),” wrote Cindy Barclay Powell.

Kelsey Loyd, another worker at the shelter described Lady as a “Super dog. Gentle, calm dog. If I had to pick a dog, this would have been the dog I would take.”

Rich said she can’t wait to meet her newest houseguest. “I'm currently out of town, but my arms will be wrapped around her on Saturday. And she will never be scared or lonely again!” she said. Rich even changed her Facebook cover photo to the pic seen above – Lady, sitting ever so debonaire on Rich's private jet, awaiting her landing in sunny Florida.

Thank you to Rich and to our fellow Examiner for bringing Lady’s story to a touching conclusion.

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Linsey is a married NY mom and is happy to contribute articles relating to top news. She is passionate about her writing, which she hopes you find appealing and engaging. As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”